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I debated long and hard about writing this post. I do throw around my opinion a lot on my blog, but there are certain topics I hesitate to come within any reasonable distance to. Writing tips and media analysis are, for the most part, fairly harmless and not something most people will take offense to. Then there are other topics. Topics like politics, like social issues, like economic issues, etc. Those are topics I don’t like to make any mention of. I have seen how much vitriol comes from talking about them, and it is just something I don’t like to be a part of within a public sphere.

However, the recent incidents with Patreon have made me want to speak up about something. Now, before you click off, I’m not going to talk about what I think of Patreon’s decision with their fees (for those who already know what’s going on). There are literally 100’s of posts already talking at length about this topic. I also don’t care where you chips fall on which side to take; that is your business, and I am not here to convince you that Patreon is a villain/not a villain.

What I do want to convince you of is the cold, unfortunate reality that most for-profit, multi-employee businesses do not care about the creators.

It’s no real secret that I spend a lot of my time writing. I write for this blog every week, I write webcomic reviews for StArt Faire every month, I do a lot of social media managing which involves a lot of tweet writing, etc. While I wouldn’t say I’m the best writer, I have definitely seen worse; you only need to be an English major in a low level college class to see the huge difference sometimes in skill level. While I don’t often have time for fiction, I do occasionally write that as well. I’m arguably more passionate about fiction and stories, but I also do enjoy the sorts of non-fiction analysis that I do here on this blog. Either way, I have lots of experience in writing, in part because I make efforts to practice it when I can.

Thus, as someone who identifies as a writer, nothing grinds my gears more than seeing others treat writing as anything less than a skill.

As someone who is a big fan of Subnautica, I often keep up with updates to the game, usually via various Youtubers who cover the game extensively. Without spoiling too much, a huge portion of the end game is in development right now (when this article was written anyway). Since it’s a key story point, it’s being tweaked to be as impactful as possible. Animations, voice acting, textures, and tons of other aspects keep being overhauled to present the most satisfying moment that could be achieved. However, in some of the more recent updates, one additive that added a ton of impact caught my eye: the sound effects.

Sound effects are one of those aspects of creative media that often get overlooked. Whether the sound effects are audio or implied to with words, they make a huge difference despite being minor additives. Unfortunately, in numerous indie industries, they can often be underused. While certainly you run the risk of oversaturating a piece with sound effects, they are still an essential that should never be neglected. To hammer in this point, let us examine why the sound effects make a difference in two industries: gaming and comics.

This is a common saying that gets passed around, but I think too few people actually stop to think about what this concept means. Particularly for indie creators, whether they’re creating games, comics, or otherwise, there seems to be a general trust that goes towards third party businesses as far as making your content available. Unfortunately, the risk for betrayal is somewhat high and may catch the more naïve off-guard. Today, I would like to analyze this statement a bit, particularly as it pertains to comics. Why comics? Well, I will tell you why.

Over this past week while working on administrative tasks for StArt Faire, it became necessary for me to analyze the best use for two different platforms. However, I was overtaken by a feeling of the stark difference between the company practices. Namely, where the companies focus device wise and how that affects me as a user, not only in my enjoyment but in my desire to even use the platform. Thus, my goal today is to write down my thoughts about these stark differences. Please keep in mind that the platforms I’m about to compare are from widely different industries. Nonetheless, they are the best representatives for what I’m about to talk about. Let us continue on this journey as I compare Tapastic and Discord.

Today I won’t talk about an actual platform to host your comics the traditional, web way, but the traditional, old way combined with the modern joys – a online magazine! A few months ago I ran into StArt Faire, a new magazine accepting a variety of comics. So I joined, and it was a great idea! Here’s what it’s about in their own words:

StArt Faire is an online monthly comic magazine with an emphasis on fantasy themed comics appropriate for people 13 and older. It was created by an artist for other artists and fans of comics as a non profit project that aspires to unite artists in a collaborative effort to bring the concept of the Japanese comic magazine to an international and online format.

StArt Faire’s Aims: To help promote artists and their comics, to be a community that helps support each other, and to provide…